Leadership Reimagined: The Evolution of Servant Leadership in International Consultancies

Abstract

This master's thesis examines the effectiveness and use of servant leadership in international consulting firms. The defined research questions aim to explore how and whether servant leadership is used, if other leadership styles are used and what the core priorities of leaders are. In order to explore this, ten semi-structured expert interviews were conducted consisting of five leaders and five led employees, who have direct working relationships on projects. According to the analysis of the interviews, Servant Leadership is the most frequently and strongly practiced form of leadership, followed by Situational and Transactional Leadership. The interviewsconducted revealed that the most important key leadership behaviours a leader should have are adaptability and flexibility, conflict management, effective communication and transparency, empathy and emotional intelligence, employee engagement and autonomy, employee growth and mentorship, inspiration and team motivation, recognition and positive reinforcement, reflection and self-awareness, strategic goal setting, confidence building and empowerment, and work-life balanceand support. Another finding of this research is the establishment of the Convergent Leadership Styles (CLS), which combines the most commonly used leadership styles, Servant, Situational and Transactional Leadership, the twelve most important behaviours of a leader, the environmental influences of international consulting firms and establishes a holistic context. This leadership style emphasizes the necessity and importance of balancing employee growth and well-being with business success. In conclusion, this study is an extension of the existing literature and provides deep insights into the leadership styles currently practiced in international consulting firms.From these insights, an optimized leadership style, the convergent leadership style, was developed. This thesis can provide a basis for researchers who aim to extend the existing data with quantitative surveys or long-term studies.